Cosmetic cases having a base and a cover connected to one another by a hinge located in the rear portion of the case have been available for many years. The hinge may be of any design that makes it possible for the cover to pivot or rotate with respect to the base when the cosmetic case is opened and closed. Typically, a closure or latching device is provided in the front portion of the cosmetic case. The ability to open these cosmetic cases with a convenient and easy-to-use push button has long been an important goal of those skilled in the art. One way to accomplish this goal is to use a separate or independent push button.
Cosmetic cases having separate or independent push buttons for disengaging the engagement between the cover and the base are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,799,503 issued to Tahara on Jan. 24, 1989, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,901,882 issued to Goncalves on Feb. 20, 1990. These two prior art cosmetic cases have the advantage of a convenient and easy-to-use push button for disengaging the cover and the base. However, they have the disadvantage of requiring the additional step of properly positioning the separate or independent push button in the cosmetic case during assembly, thereby increasing both the time to manufacture and the final cost of the cosmetic case.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a cosmetic case having a push button for disengaging the cover and the base and requiring no additional steps to assemble;
It is further an object of the present invention to provide a cosmetic case in which the parts permitting push button operation are integrally molded with the cover and the base;
It is further an object of the present invention to provide a cosmetic case in which the push button opening device has excellent durability;
It is further an object of the present invention to provide a cosmetic case having a push button made of a resilient material able to withstand the required flexing for disengaging the engagement between the cover and the base;
It is further an object of the present invention to provide a cosmetic case having a push button opening device and which requires reduced assembly time; and
It is lastly an object of the present invention to provide a cosmetic case that accomplishes the aforementioned objectives at minimal costs.